Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 20

Sanskrit:

नाहं तु सख्यो भजतोऽपि जन्तून्भजाम्यमीषामनुवृत्तिवृत्तये ।यथाधनो लब्धधने विनष्टेतच्चिन्तयान्यन्निभृतो न वेद ॥ २० ॥

ITRANS:

nāhaṁ tu sakhyo bhajato ’pi jantūnbhajāmy amīṣām anuvṛtti-vṛttayeyathādhano labdha-dhane vinaṣṭetac-cintayānyan nibhṛto na veda

Translation:

But the reason I do not immediately reciprocate the affection of living beings even when they worship Me, O gopīs, is that I want to intensify their loving devotion. They then become like a poor man who has gained some wealth and then lost it, and who thus becomes so anxious about it that he can think of nothing else.

Purport:

Lord Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham: “As people approach Me, I reciprocate with them accordingly.” Yet even if the Lord is approached by someone with devotion, to intensify the devotee’s love the Lord may not immediately reciprocate fully. In fact, the Lord is truly reciprocating. After all, a sincere devotee always prays to the Lord, “Please help me to love You purely.” Therefore the Lord’s so-called neglect is actually the fulfillment of the devotee’s prayer. Lord Kṛṣṇa intensifies our love for Him by apparently separating Himself from us, and the result is that we achieve what we really wanted and prayed for: intense love for the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa. Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa’s apparent negligence is actually His thoughtful reciprocation and the fulfillment of our deepest and purest desire. According to the ācāryas, as Lord Kṛṣṇa began to speak this verse the gopīs looked at one another with squinting eyes, trying to hide the smiles breaking out on their faces. Even as Lord Kṛṣṇa was speaking, the gopīs had begun to realize that He was bringing them to the highest perfection of loving service.